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Instant pot - what do you use yours for ?

42 replies

Newmumburnout · 25/07/2025 17:09

I have an instant pot as the title suggests. I have just pulled it out from the cupboard and decided I want to use it more !! I was hoping that some MNs would give me their best recipes?

I would love to know either your absolute favourite stews/Currys etc but also if you use it for anything else like yogurt or steam function ?

I am experimenting and currently have 2 litres of yogurt in there until 8 pm tonight so hoping that comes out well

OP posts:
Newmumburnout · 27/07/2025 18:57

MrBootsMedicine · 27/07/2025 18:53

I mainly use mine for pulled pork and cooking frozen chicken breasts. Any number of frozen chicken breasts, 2 cups of water or stock if you fancy, I just add salt and pepper to the water, manual 25 minutes natural release. It means I can have chicken breast for Sunday roast as no one wants the thighs, shred or slice it for sandwiches, add it to pasta or a stir fry. I start it an hour before I need it, comes to temp, cooks and then ready when I need it.

Yoghurt, I started like you did with the whole fresh milk bit. Then went onto UHT milk cold start because you don't need to do the whole cool it down and check with a thermometer. Literally everything into the pot and set to yoghurt. If you or anyone else are interested. Per 1 litre of UHT, 2 tablespoons of starter, 2 tablespoons of milk powder although you don't need the milk powder.

How I do it, 3 litres of UHT, 1 small pot of YeoValley natural yoghurt as the starter. I mix the yoghurt with a small amount of the milk to loosen it. Then all into the pot, onto Yoghurt for 10 hours and let it do its thing overnight. In the morning, I strain the yoghurt over 2 bowls because I make 3 litres at a time, measure off the whey to the consistency we like.

Thank you for this. Very detailed and I think I will definitely do both of these. I always think I need a full recipe but obviously you can just cook chicken 😋 excellent.

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haggisaggis · 27/07/2025 19:00

Mine gets used for porridge (set it up the night before and put it on timer), goulash, curry, daal, pulled pork, risotto, steaming corn on the cob. I use it a fair bit, particularly in the winter. Oh, also steam the Christmas pudding in it!

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 27/07/2025 19:01

We’ve ordered an Instant Pot http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/foodandd_recipes/3347436-We-ve-ordered-an-Instant-Pot
www.familyfreshmeals.com/2018/04/instant-pot-honey-garlic-chicken.html

thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/

These are older threads with loads of recipes on! The mac and Cheese is here as well, forgot I had one @Newmumburnout

JDM625 · 27/07/2025 19:24

Instant pot is simply a brand name for a combo cooking device. Same as Hoover is a brand vacuum cleaner.

I have an electric pressure cooker which I assume could be used as a slow cooker and to make yoghurt etc too because it has a warm function. I mainly use it as a pressure cooker though.
-Black beans for use with fajitas
-Ribs, which I sometimes then finish on the BBQ or air fryer for a crispy finish
-Pea and ham soup using a smoked, pork knuckle and green split peas
-Gammon

Newmumburnout · 27/07/2025 21:28

MrBootsMedicine · 27/07/2025 18:53

I mainly use mine for pulled pork and cooking frozen chicken breasts. Any number of frozen chicken breasts, 2 cups of water or stock if you fancy, I just add salt and pepper to the water, manual 25 minutes natural release. It means I can have chicken breast for Sunday roast as no one wants the thighs, shred or slice it for sandwiches, add it to pasta or a stir fry. I start it an hour before I need it, comes to temp, cooks and then ready when I need it.

Yoghurt, I started like you did with the whole fresh milk bit. Then went onto UHT milk cold start because you don't need to do the whole cool it down and check with a thermometer. Literally everything into the pot and set to yoghurt. If you or anyone else are interested. Per 1 litre of UHT, 2 tablespoons of starter, 2 tablespoons of milk powder although you don't need the milk powder.

How I do it, 3 litres of UHT, 1 small pot of YeoValley natural yoghurt as the starter. I mix the yoghurt with a small amount of the milk to loosen it. Then all into the pot, onto Yoghurt for 10 hours and let it do its thing overnight. In the morning, I strain the yoghurt over 2 bowls because I make 3 litres at a time, measure off the whey to the consistency we like.

@MrBootsMedicine can I ask how long your homemade yogurt lasts ? And do you flavour it at all ?

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MrBootsMedicine · 27/07/2025 21:36

No we don't flavour it because we add lots of fresh or frozen fruit to it. I am going to say 5 days because we eat it before then, we also have 2 children and I drain off about 1300ml of whey of the 3 litre initial weight. I am of the sniff test personally with lots of foods. I know some people add in vanilla to sweeten it.

@WeAreOnTheRoadToNowhere I curse you and your clotted cream link Grin

WeAreOnTheRoadToNowhere · 27/07/2025 21:50

MrBootsMedicine · 27/07/2025 21:36

No we don't flavour it because we add lots of fresh or frozen fruit to it. I am going to say 5 days because we eat it before then, we also have 2 children and I drain off about 1300ml of whey of the 3 litre initial weight. I am of the sniff test personally with lots of foods. I know some people add in vanilla to sweeten it.

@WeAreOnTheRoadToNowhere I curse you and your clotted cream link Grin

😋🤣

kittenkipping · 27/07/2025 22:01

Amy and jack perfect rare roast beef https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-roast-beef/ is the only way I do roast beef . Most of their instant pot recipes are good- but my god the intros are absurdly long!

I use it to make sushi rice a lot. And risotto. Fresh stock. Gammon. Mulled wine at Christmas.

Instant Pot Buttery Roast Beef with Gravy | Tested by Amy + Jacky

Step-by-Step Guide on how to cook Tasty Buttery Tender Medium Rare Roast Beef with Gravy or Deli-style Cold Cut Roast Beef. Time to impress your family & friends!

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-roast-beef/

NC543210 · 29/07/2025 21:48

I use mine for joints of beef so tender and easy. Falls apart.
5 bean chilli
Stews
Ragu
Curry

I also use it in place of my slow cooker. Cooked a nandos style chicken pasta thing in it today.

I did make yoghurt in it when I first got it
I'm going to do it again as we buy so much yoghurt. Totally forgot how easy it was.

Going to try the rice cooker too as never tried that part.

One thing I would say is get a couple of extra seals. I have a seal specifically for curries and chillies as I feel like it holds the scent a little and who wants Curry flavoured rice pudding.

Newmumburnout · 30/07/2025 10:31

NC543210 · 29/07/2025 21:48

I use mine for joints of beef so tender and easy. Falls apart.
5 bean chilli
Stews
Ragu
Curry

I also use it in place of my slow cooker. Cooked a nandos style chicken pasta thing in it today.

I did make yoghurt in it when I first got it
I'm going to do it again as we buy so much yoghurt. Totally forgot how easy it was.

Going to try the rice cooker too as never tried that part.

One thing I would say is get a couple of extra seals. I have a seal specifically for curries and chillies as I feel like it holds the scent a little and who wants Curry flavoured rice pudding.

Thanks for this. I bought an extra seal, forgot it was on there and made a curry 😔 😂

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404PageNotFound · 30/07/2025 12:46

I'm a bit scared to use mine, as I was bought up to believe on-the-stove pressure cookers could explode! I did try a chilli in it once though and it was really good. I can't remember where I got the recipe though, sorry!!

Newmumburnout · 30/07/2025 14:38

404PageNotFound · 30/07/2025 12:46

I'm a bit scared to use mine, as I was bought up to believe on-the-stove pressure cookers could explode! I did try a chilli in it once though and it was really good. I can't remember where I got the recipe though, sorry!!

Hilarious as is your username !! 😂

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PestoHoliday · 30/07/2025 17:12

Cooking brown basmati rice - 1 cup water, 1 cup rice, 22 minutes, 10 minutes natural pressure release.

Cooking dried chickpeas, black beans, etc because it's SO much cheaper than buying tins. Dal and rajma are great in the instant pot.

stealthsquirrelnutkin · 30/07/2025 17:12

I use mine for making kefir yogurt, with a couple of tablespoons of Yeo Valley kefir (plain) and a 1L box of long life milk. I eat kefir every day and a 350g pot costs £2, so being able to make a litre for 99p makes it a lot less expensive.

I also use it for cooking dried beans, again because it is so much cheaper than buying tins or packets of ready cooked beans. I have all the different varieties of beans, dried peas and lentils in the kitchen cupboard, measure out the ones I want to cook the next day and soak them overnight. You can get away with not soaking them if you don't mind cooking them for longer, but I find they absorb other flavours better if they have been soaked first. I love Greek plaki (those giant butter beans in tomato sauce) but don't like paying several quid for a small tin of them, so I make my own with real Gigantes beans imported from Greece (via Amazon, but only at certain times of the year). I also use the instant pot for making Mexican beans, and Indian dahl and bean curries.

The instant pot makes excellent risotto too, with no faffing about adding a tiny bit more liquid every few minutes. I make mushroom risotto with rice, and pearl barley risotto with Italian vegetables and herbs. Oh and it also makes perfect quinoa, with no standing over the pot watching for the little tails to unfurl.

The instant pot tends to make 6 very generous portions of risotto or beans, for the price of a single ready meal bought from the supermarket. The only problem is finding space in the freezer for the surplus single portion bags and pouches.

I also use it for cooking new potatoes (in the steamer basket with a sprig of garden mint) in just 7 minutes, and perfect broccoli in 1 minute, also in the steamer basket.

I'm the kind of cook who gets distracted easily, anything that needs to be stirred and watched is at risk of burning or going mushy. With the instant pot all you need are really good recipes where someone else has calculated exactly how much liquid you need, and how long to cook it.

When I bought it a friend recommended adding the extra steel inner pan and matching glass lid, as well as the steamer basket. I have not regretted getting them, it is so handy to use oven gloves to lift out the interior steel pan full of beans, and pop in the other inner pan, with the measured grains and liquid to make quinoa/risotto/rice or with the steamer basket for spuds, sweet potatoes and carrots.

I also have a silicone form for making egg bites in the instant pot, with cheese, herbs and very finely chopped vegetables.

Oh, and then there are the instant pot black bean chocolate brownies, all fudgey and delicious. I haven't made them for ages I wonder if I still have the recipe?

My brother made the mistake of buying a different electric pressure cooker that claimed to be able to do more things than the instant pot. He never uses it because his machine won't work if it has less than 600ml of water in the bowl and all that extra liquid takes ages to come up to pressure, compared to the instant pot that will steam with only one cup of water in the bottom of the pan.

HappyAsASandboy · 30/07/2025 18:56

i use mine for;

Bolognese
Beef stew (soffritto, beef, oxo cube, root veg)
Pulled ham/pork/beef brisket
Jacket potatoes
Christmas pudding

Hoping to try some of these other recipes now though!

iloveroastpotatoes · 31/07/2025 00:14

I use mine all the time too! Tonight was mash potatoes.
I cook a joint of ham in there, pulled pulled, boiled eggs using the 5-5-5 method, new potatoes, bolognaise, stews, 0 minute chicken etc.

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